RFID technologies are widely used for automatic identification. A basic RFID system includes an RFID tag or transponder carrying identification data and an RFID interrogator or reader that reads and/or writes the identification data. An RFID tag typically includes a microchip for data storage and processing, and a coupling element, such as an antenna coil, for communication. Tags may be classified as active or passive. Active tags have built-in power sources while passive tags are powered by radio waves received from the reader and thus cannot initiate any communications.
An RFID reader operates by writing data into the tags or interrogating tags for their data through a radio-frequency (RF) interface. During interrogation, the reader forms and transmits RF waves, which are used by tags to generate response data according to information stored therein. The reader also detects reflected or backscattered signals from the tags at the same frequency, or, in the case of a chirped interrogation waveform, at a slightly different frequency. The reader typically detects the reflected or backscattered signal by mixing this signal with a local oscillator signal. This detection mechanism is known as homodyne architecture.
In a conventional homodyne reader, such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,114,971, two separate decoupled antennas for transmission (TX) and reception (RX) are used, resulting in increased physical size and weight of the reader, and are thus not desirable. To overcome the problem, readers with a single antenna for both TX and RX functions are developed by employing a microwave circulator or directional coupler to separate the reflected signal from the transmitted signal, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,107,910. In another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,850,187, a tapped transmission line serves as both a phase shifter and directional coupler.
Recent developments in RFID systems present challenges for conventional RFID readers. First, identification data stored on tags must be sent to readers in a reliable manner. Encoding this data and transmitting it over a modulated signal are two critical components of communications between tags and readers. While data coding determines the representation of data, signal modulation determines the protocol of communications between tags and readers. There are three main classes of digital modulation: Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) or Class 1 protocol according to the EPCglobal Standard, Frequency Shift Keying (FSK) or EPCglobal Class 0 protocol, and Phase Shift Keying (PSK). Each of these classes has its own power consumption, reliability, and bandwidth requirements. It would be desirable for an RFID reader to be able to process signals from tags using different protocols.
Other challenging issues arise from interrogating passive RFID tags because the same signal used to communicate with the tags has to be used to power the tags. Passive tags receive power from readers through mechanisms such as inductive coupling or far-field energy harvesting. The received power can be significantly reduced because of modulations in the signal. Also, modulating information into an otherwise pure sinusoidal wave spreads the signal in the frequency domain. This spread is usually referred to as “side band” and is regulated by government. The amount of information that may be sent from a reader to a tag is thus limited by these limitations on modulation.
Furthermore, RFID readers have not been made in a PC Card format so that it can be integrated in handheld, portable or laptop computers to read from and write to RFID tags. The flexibility of an RFID reader on a PC Card also allows easy integration of an intelligent long-range (ILR) system into enterprise systems and permits combination with other technologies such as bar code and wireless local area networks (LAN). A PC Card RFID reader, however, presents other challenges because RF components of a conventional reader cannot fit in a small PC card housing and the operation of a PC interface may generate spurs in the transmit channel of the reader, resulting in spurious emissions from the reader that do not comply with regulatory requirements from the government. A PC Card RFID reader also needs to be low in cost, and still highly sensitive to incoming signals.